Grenades fired at US convoy and civilian bus

June 17 2003

Attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades against a civilian bus and a US military convoy in Iraq, wounding at least four Americans, two of them seriously.

In the first of two attacks, "an enemy individual fired a rocket-propelled grenade at 4th Infantry Division soldiers during an attempted ambush (on Sunday), hitting a civilian bus that was passing a military convoy near the town of AL Mushahidah (about 25 kilometres north of Baghdad)," a US military statement said.

At least two Americans were seriously wounded in the attack, US military spokesman Captain John Morgan said.

Soldiers returned fire "to protect the convoy and the civilian bus", a statement from US Central Command said, adding that "the number of casualties on the civilian bus are unknown at this time".

Also on Sunday, attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades on a military convoy near Ad Dujayl, a town 55 kilometres north of Baghdad, lightly wounding two soldiers, Captain Morgan said. ");document.write("

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"The convoy returned fire, and the attackers fled the area. A quick reactionary force was dispatched to provide security for the convoy and pursue the attackers," the Centcom statement said.

The incidents were the latest in a series of attacks against US occupation forces in Iraq. In response, the military has begun large-scale sweeps around the country in search of insurgents and weapons.

"Supporters of the former regime continue to put innocent civilians at risk. Coalition forces will continue to isolate and defeat remaining pockets of resistance that are delaying the transition to a peaceful and stable Iraq," the Centcom statement said.

Qusai Taha, 33, a grocery store owner in the area of Ad Dujayl, said he heard gunfire while in his store, ran outside and saw that the last vehicle in a 15-vehicle convoy had been hit.

He said he saw two American soldiers being taken out of the truck, and that they appeared to be wounded.

Later, he said, two Iraqis arrived at the scene on a motorbike and set the truck ablaze. Other witnesses in the area gave similar accounts.

American soldiers were working yesterday to remove the burned out vehicle.